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Browsing by Author "Stone, Matthew Lee Cole"

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    Development of unit cost estimating models with respect to scale economies and material price volatility for use in probabilistic life cycle cost analyses
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Stone, Matthew Lee Cole; Back, W. Edward; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    In regard to pavement materials, some state highway agencies are naturally inclined to favor one material over others based on familiarity with construction of the pavement and the typical distress and failure characteristics of the material. Both asphalt and portland cement concrete pavements have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, and their use by state highway agencies is contingent upon numerous factors including technical performance and engineering economy. Traditionally, one of the main factors in pavement material selection has been the analysis of initial construction costs. However, with more transportation assets added to the state's inventory each year and financial resources becoming more restricted, state highway agencies have recognized the need to choose the best pavement option for their citizens that will require minimum agency resources to maintain and rehabilitate requires more than an analysis of initial costs. This research seeks to analyze the life cycle costs of these two paving materials in the state of Alabama while investigating which projects warrant a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Design and construction practices of concrete pavements will also be examined so that factors that significantly influence the life cycle costs of this pavement material can be identified. This research will also examine the availability of engineering and economic data, determine what data is necessary to provide a practical estimate to the total cost of ownership for both pavement alternatives, and address such issues as forecasting initial construction costs for use in a stochastic LCCA and identifying significant issues with the current LCCA process.
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    Using design-based change orders as a lessons learned metric in university dormitory construction
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Stone, Matthew Lee Cole; Johnson, Philip W.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The enrollment at The University of Alabama has increased substantially in recent years and the University is expanding to meet the growing demands. The expansion includes four dormitory complexes built within the past five years. Change orders considerably influenced the final cost of the first and second dormitory projects and the University initiated the current study to follow-up on a global change order study that previously examined new construction on campus. The current study is part of a lessons learned initiative to improve the cost effectiveness of University construction projects. New dormitory construction projects were the main focus of this study and the change data from these facilities was analyzed based on the reasons for the change and what Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Division the change represented. While it was determined that the largest source of change orders on dormitory projects were owner initiated, these changes have not been targeted for reduction since they are at the discretion of the University and can be beneficial to the project. To gauge the performance of the change management program currently in place at the University, the direct impact on the total project cost due to changes resulting from design errors were analyzed for all four dormitory projects. The author hopes that the recommendations in this study will aid universities and colleges by providing a means to gather, track, and analyze changes that occur during the construction of dormitory projects and show how the lessons learned from the change orders during these projects can potentially reduce costs on future projects.